Old cat - refuses to eat

I have an old cat who will not eat. When he does eat, he is either puking or has diarrhea. He has been able to keep water down but isn't drinking alot of it. He has no interest in food at all. I know I am going to hear "Take him to the vet" but like I said he is old and a car ride/vet visit is very traumatic for him. I just don't want to put him through all that as weak as he already is. Is there any suggestions on what I can do to get him to eat something? He is already so frail, I don't want to traumatize him at all.

My cat has an enlarged heart and he is 1/2 feral, he is terrified of everything, so I was always so terribly afraid of putting him in a carrier and bringing him to the Vet, I was afraid he would take a heart attach being so frightened, and lately I've had to do it a few times due to his heart and he is pre-disposed to Staph infections, there was no alternative, But he makes out fine. He was given the proper medical and his enlarged heart has improved. Don't be afraid to take him, I know how you feel believe me. But if you bring him he will get the proper medication and he may be able to get stronger. Many many Prayers and for you both.

I appreciate your comments about being afraid to take him to the vet but it isn't fear. 6 years ago I went through this with another cat, Cole's step-brother After spending several thousands of dollars, pushing pills down his throat (which I still have the scars from) I still lost him in just a month. Doing all of this was horrible for him, for us both actually. I can't put Cole through that. Did I mention I am also unemployed? Cole has been winding down for months now and I have come to terms with the fact that I will lose him soon. I don't want to seem like a monster for not taking him to a vet. I really was just needing some advise on how I can make him more comfortable.

Yes, my hope is that he will drink. He is still drinking some water so maybe this will get his appetite going again. Thank you also for the prayers. I am certaining in need of them. This is heartbreaking to live through again, almost 6 years to the day.

She started to refuse to eat the Deli Cat (dry food) that I always feed for her whole life. So I started feeding her wet food, but she rarely ate that either. She was real aggressive in eating people food though even jumping on the table to take some. In the end all she seemed to eat just barely was people food which we gave to her. She started losing alot of weight and acting erratic. She also started doing diarrhea around the house(and not in the litter or outside).

By the time I took her to the vet it was too late, the vet found numerous cancer tumors, in her intestines, in her lung and liver. She died after the vet asked me for permission to adminster anaesthesia to examine her better, since she was viciously clawing the vet and me. The cat stopped breathing due to the anaesthesia and the vet asked for my permission to give her a lethal injection, it was probably for the best at that point since she could barely function and was laboriously breathing. She was also old -- 14 years old. She also was constantly meowing in front the food bowl before I gave her food like she was trying to communicate the pain of even eating with her tumors.

Try examining the cat yourself and see if you can feel hard cancer tumors on the digestive organs. If a cat is losing weight, barely eating, has diarrhea, this could be the case.

When my cat K was younger, about 9 months, she was failing to thrive & I was beside myself with worry. She was Dehydrated and Underweight & she ended up spendinga few days in intensive care. The vet tried everything they could for her - intravenous fluids, antibiotics & anti diarreah medicine since she was going all over herself spontaneously.

Well K came home, and the medicines I was given weren't working. She was still looking ill and going all over herself. However, after a few days, although the vet thought along obvious medical lines such as it being viral or something nasty, I realised, after trying her on the royal canin the vet gave me to tempt her to eat, that she has a digestive problem, and that her digestive problem nearly killed her.

I permantly switched her over to Optimun & Royal Canin dry food, and have never looked back, she has gained so much weight, is so much healthier and the diarreah stopped within days of switching her. She is now very active, weighs a normal weight & still very loving, and I'm glad I realised what was wrong before it was too late.

My point is, sometimes, such violent reactions such as diarreah and vomitting and going off food and loosing weight may seem like OMG! She's dying and there is nothing I can do! but, it could be something as simple as an aquired food allergy that can be fixed like my cat whom I nearly lost before I realised through fluke what the vets couldnt tell me - and thats, that a food allergy nearly took my baby from me.

So my advice is take your cat to the vet, because it may not be something that cant be fixed, and even if it is, the best thing to make your cat experience no pain, may be compassionate euthanasia.

Cole crossed Rainbow Bridge yesterday. While it was a heart wrenching decision that I had to make, I know it was for the best. It came down to quality of life. After taking him to the vet and discussing all of my options I decided to let him go in peace. Cole was old and I truly do not believe he could have withstood alot of treatments. Cole was a very social and verbal cat. He would be highly insulted if everyone came in and did not speak and pet him. He was staying holed up and didn't even want any attention. I knew he wasn't happy living that way. I buried him at home with his brother's ashes. I had to say good-bye to two old, dear friends yesterday. While I deal with the grief I remind myself that he is happy again and no longer in any pain.